The Internet's Freshest Face
Why Facebook?
Whatever you do, don’t call Facebook a “social network.” Unlike all the other social network sites out there, Facebook bills itself as a “social utility.” Whereas most social networks seem to have higher rates of online connections, Facebook is all about building on your existing social networks in a virtual world.
“Ultimately, Facebook gives you the ability to keep track of people and what they’re up to,” explains Cliff Lampe, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media at Michigan State University. “Some people liken it to a Christmas letter, but more up to date.”
But as Lampe explains, Facebook’s impact goes a lot further than a simple greeting card. “We’ve known for a long time that computers augment our brain capacity,” he says. “Facebook takes it a step further to augment our relationships and our ability to maintain social networks, especially for looser relationships in sparse networks. Facebook helps us extend what we’re normally able to do in those networks.”
For this reason, your overall goal for your first 30 days of using Facebook is already defined for you: You’ll be focused on improving and caring for your relationships with friends, loved ones and even colleagues.
That’s exactly how Nick Ragone, senior vice president at Ketchum Public Relations in New York, treated Facebook in his first 30 days. Instead of being perceived as “just another publicist,” he was able to build on his relationships with more than a 100 reporters and producers. With Facebook, he says, “You become a real person, with hobbies and interests, just like them. It humanizes you. It allows reporters to see you more as a friend and less as an annoying PR person.”
Not only did this help him build his list of contacts, but he’s been able to do his job more efficiently, as well. “I’ve met new reporter contacts, which is terrific, and I’ve even pitched stories to reporter friends through Facebook. It’s an invaluable tool,” he explains.
